Hot-plug storage drive

Abstract

A drive assembly includes a carrier, a drive supported by the carrier, and an interface board. The tape drive includes a bus connector and a power connector. A plurality of cables are coupled to the bus connector and the power connector. The interface board includes an expander coupled to the cables and an external connector coupled to the expander. A storage array includes a backplane, a plurality of storage devices coupled to the backplane, a bus coupled to the storage devices, and at least one input/output connector coupled to the bus. Each storage device includes a carrier, a drive supported by the carrier, and an interface board. The drive includes a bus connector and a power connector. A plurality of cables are coupled to the bus connector and the power connector. The interface board includes an expander coupled to the cables and an external connector coupled to the expander.

1. A drive assembly adapted to be coupled to a bus having a variable stub length, comprising:
 a drive;  
 a plurality of cables coupled to the drive;  
 an interface board, comprising: 
 at least one expander coupled to the cables; and  
 an external connector coupled to the expander,  
 wherein the external connector provides signals to and receives signals from the drive and wherein the expander performs signal conditioning on signals communicated through the external connector and controls the stub length of the bus.  
 
 
   
   
     2. The drive assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the signal conditioning mitigates line transmissions, line capacitance, and periodic variations in voltage and temperature in the drive. 
   
   
     3. The drive assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the expander is selectively enabled. 
   
   
     4. The drive assembly according to  claim 1 , the interface board further comprising a control logic device. 
   
   
     5. The drive assembly according to  claim 4  wherein the control logic device is connected to the expander. 
   
   
     6. The drive assembly according to  claim 1 , the interface board further including at least one bus terminator. 
   
   
     7. The drive assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the bus terminator is located between the expander and external connector. 
   
   
     8. The drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive comprises an Id connector, and the plurality of cables comprises a cable coupled to the Id connector. 
   
   
     9. The drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interface board further comprises a terminator coupled between the cables and the expander. 
   
   
     10. The drive assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a bus connector, wherein the bus connector comprises at least one of a 50-pin and a 68-pin small computer system interface (SCSI) connector. 
   
   
     11. The drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the external connector comprises a single connector attachment (SCA) connector. 
   
   
     12. The drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive comprises one of a tape drive and a hard disk drive.